eden am bach

The client bought the former farm with a view to building unique, owner-occupied flats in a central location. The name of the project says it all, standing for ‘einzigartig, dauerhaft, energieeffizient, nachhaltig’, i.e. unique, lasting, energy efficient and sustainable. The erstwhile farm site had to fulfil modern requirements and coverage was to be denser, yet the area had to maintain its character.

The new build in Lenzburg comprising 10 flats for sale was completed in 2016, built according to ‘2,000 Watt Society’ principles and to MINERGIE A standard. The choice of a hybrid building method, in wood and solid construction, ensures ideal insulation and heat saving. Implementation planning was realised in collaboration with Küng Holzbau. A virtual building model was the basis for prefabrication of the wooden building elements. This enabled precise and efficient work. Wooden ceilings and walls are built in visible quality, glued, three-layer solid wood panels of native silver fir. The concrete core, with staircases, bathrooms, chimneys and riser shafts for the building’s technical system is the ‘spine’ of the building, with bedrooms on the east side and living rooms to the west. Every flat is also equipped with a warm-air circulating fireplace and a ventilation system.

The photo-voltaic system on the roof of the flats building is installed so that it is easily accessible and it generates twice the electricity requirements of the heat pump. At the southern edge of the plot runs the Dorfbach stream, which is routed underground up to this point. The architects had the stream diverted to the surface where it flows freely down a natural slope into the garden without the use of any additional energy. The flowing waterway is an important element of the garden design.

Project eden am bach
Location Lenzburg
Type New Build
Use Residential
Build 2014/15

Photography Bildreich Martina Issler
Photography b/w Markus Lüscher
Images rooftop Frederich Steenkamp